Nestled in the undulating countryside north of Taunton, Somerset’s county town, lies the ever popular and constantly growing family business  that is Monkton Elm Garden Centre.

Established over thirty years ago, Monkton Elm garden centre has evolved from humble beginnings growing tomatoes to the hugely successful business it is today. The founders consider that they have created a ‘club’ atmosphere with many loyal customers who having witnessed Monkton Elm grow over the years. The family prides itself that it is not just a garden centre, but a meeting place and hub of the local community. They organise and arrange many special events at the garden centre from charity days, to gardening club evenings and food & wine tasting events. Customers are generally from the South West, but many visitors travel from further afield especially when they’re on holiday.

The new year saw the complete redevelopment of the cafe area and The Elm Tree Restaurant was opened in the spring 2015 in readiness for the new season. The new restaurant represents a significant investment for Monkton Elm. The new building comprises of a modern coffee lounge, a large serving island that includes a deli counter and juice bar and a self service drinks area. The large windows into the main cooking area and varied seating options  provide the perfect environment for people to stop for a coffee or specifically come for lunch.

Prior to the redevelopment of the restaurant, simple menu items like toasties and Paninis were not on the menu. This was  due to the time they used to take and the inherent inconsistency in the finish when they’re cooked on a contact grill. The TurboChef Sota has solved these issues and now both toasties and Paninis are firmly back on the menu!

Norma Moore, Manager at Monkton Elm – “The cafe was struggling to keep up at busy times when we were using traditional Panini grills, certain items were just taking too long so the decision was made to abandon Paninis. We simply could not cook them fast enough and to a standard which we wanted.”

The plans for the restaurant refurbishment were well on the way and whilst the Monkton Elm team were investigating the different pieces of equipment which they were likely to need in the new operation they came across Taylor UK and the TurboChef ovens.

” We were invited down to Taylor UK’s demonstration kitchen to see the TurboChef Sota for ourselves before we bought one, the cooking results which we saw made us all very excited. When we witnessed the cooking speeds of the Sota, we knew our problems were solved.”  

The TurboChef Sota can toast sandwiches and crisp Paninis in approximaely 60 seconds which is much faster than conventional methods. The combination of impinged hot air and microwave gives the oven the ability to re-generate almost anything FAST.

Norma added, “Our original plan was to purchase additional equipment once the restaurant was nearing completion, however, the TurboChef was so impressive that we made the investment ahead of time and installed it in our old cafe so we could start using it straight away!” 

The TurboChef Sota has become a key component of the new deli counter in the Elm Tree Restaurant, heating and toasting all of the amazing hot sandwich products which they have on offer.

Why don’t you visit The Elm Restaurant yourself the next time you’re in the West Country?

Monkton Elm Garden Centre, West Monkton, Taunton, Somerset, TA2 8QN

www.monktonelmgardencentre.co.uk

For more information on how a TurboChef could benefit your store call us on 0800 838 896, email sales@taylor-company.co.uk or request your free consultation by clicking here.